Today there was a surprise within the inbox of our email, a message from Christopher Mello, the gardening welder guy whose studio/garden was written about in this post.

A message had been sent to him before this post was published asking him for a little more information about his situation. When there was no response, it was thought that he was busy with the big trip ahead of him, and since he had given permission the day that the photos were taken, we went ahead with the story. We now have the answers to our questions.

It seems he is leaving for Costa Rica in two days and will be gone for a year doing a large gardening project there. His studio in Asheville, North Carolina will be cared for by Lauri Newman. We also learned that the name of his garden/business is Gnomon. The gnomon is the part of a sundial that casts the shadow. Gnomon is an ancient Greek word meaning “indicator”, “one who discerns,” or “that which reveals.” , but also has connotations of knowledge and quick wit.

Shown above is the project he is currently consumed by, a slip cast ceramic baby doll head,made from one of thirteen or fourteen molds he came to possess from a studio that was moving. He cast the birds and added them to the head, creating this lovely piece. He is planning on adding a shiny chartreuse glaze highlighting the darker spaces. Another of the baby heads is seen in the ornament in his garden along with glass balls, encased in a leaf element.

Not only a talented and creative artist, he is a serious gardener, as you can see by this lovely iceland poppy growing in his garden.

This is a photo of the owner of the garden in Costa Rica where Christopher will be working. We wish him well in his adventures and look forward to hearing more from him, he plans on having his own blog sometime soon. More details will be posted as they become available.

Bon voyage, Christopher!

Frances

This material belongs to Faire Garden and may not be copied or used without permission.

Anyone interested in just about anything you ever wanted to know about a gnomon might want to check out a book by Midhat Gazale: Gnomon: from Pharaohs to Fractals. I confess that I didn’t understand much past the first chapter or two, but the history of the gnomon is fascinating, nonetheless.

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My name is Frances and I am a lifelong gardener, having lived in various parts of the USA over many years. I am now gardening in USDA Zone 7a east Tennessee. From 2000 to 2014 I was gardening on a slope in a small town in Tennessee. I have been blogging about my gardens since December of 2007. Thank you for visiting!